Jirov. Thompson simply relies too heavily on guys fading for him to get his own shots in. He's not as smart or as skilled as Toney and he's not a HW like Mesi or Moorer, both of whom had Jirovs number but had strength advantages that Thompson didn't have. I like Jirov's overall toughness and southpaw body attack to keep Thompson honest. No point looking at the Haye fight- Thompson took a beating, Haye was dead at the weight and blew himself out trying to get a fast KO.
I like Thompson. Very honest guy. Never quit. Very polite guy. Always tried to find a way, and they needed to job him to make sure Nelson got the win. They knew Thompson would come on late and they never rematched him. Early stoppage. Just too hittable. Walked onto shots.
I think Thompson knocks him out. Even if he is a little bit smaller, he hit harder than Moorer IMO, and let's be honest, he isn't the only one in this match up who's easy to hit. Jirov was hurt vs Letterlough, and was stopped by Moorer. Has there ever been an elite CW that's easier to hit than Jirov? As an aggressive, crouching southpaw, Jirov would walk straight onto Thompson's uppercut and wouldn't be avoiding many of his 2-3s either. Although, you can hit Thompson with anything you wanted and Jirov would. He'd go to the body too which would obviously work against Thompson. But I think if the Thompson from the mid-late 90s turns up, he has the stamina, toughness and heart to hang woy Jirov, and the power to knock him out. If he doesn't, he'd get out-worked in most rounds and lose a clear decision. It'd be World War III.
